Intoxicatingly Complicated
by alinwonderland
Summary: The new team, ITXC, or Intoxicate, is on the rise in Atlas Academy. However, their inner relationships seem somewhat strained and are filled with a whole lot of backstory, poison, and secrets. Are you ready for this spicy team to come together... interestingly, right before the fall of Beacon?
1. Chapter 1: Freefalling with Grimm

NOTE: I DON'T OWN THE RWBY UNIVERSE, EXCEPT FOR MY OWN CRAPPY OCS

This isn't really based on the recent events in RWBY (but if I write more they might be haha) since I wrote this a few years ago. Thought I should publish it when I dug this out of my drive.

Enjoy!

* * *

Xaris

* * *

I stared at the screen and pulled at my hair, resisting the urge to get up screaming while simultaneously flailing on the ground. Stomping my foot hard into the metal floor, I briskly turned away from the horrid sight and plopped down onto an equally hard metal chair.

Everything here was metal. Metal, metal, and more metal, every glance of the dull, grey gleam bringing back memories that made my hair stand on end. I shuddered and forced down my uneasiness, clamping down hard on the fear that I might be discovered here. It would be okay, I repeated over and over again.

But the static didn't leave my hair, or the ragged clothes I wore. It was such a stupid mission, but for the Lien I could get for getting a lick of the information in Atlas' military - I needed it. Desperately.

I exhaled slowly and opened my eyes again, the static leaving my body as my heart calmed down. I scowled at my current predicament. Being in the same team with the boy who sentenced me to a life of debt for the dust that _he_ ruined - stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I tapped my boot on the ground furiously. If I could pull this off, I'll get enough money to pay off the last bits of debt my father left me when he passed. And then start working on the debt that _I_ somehow built up.

My thoughts worked their way to the the hole in the center of the room. It was large enough for 4 initiates to fall through together and complete initiation in the Grimm-infested Evergreen Forest. As if showing off our "talents" in front of a panel of grumpy judges wasn't enough.

A bunch of initiates were gathered in the center of the room, staring at the giant screen that encircled the dropoff zone. On it showed the students and their respective teams, all selected through balancing skills and whatnot. I'd much rather it be random, or choosing your own teammates yourself. But Atlas Academy just had to be different. My eyes searched for familiar figures around the screens, but there were none. I relaxed.

"Hah, glad I'm not the only person who looks extremely stressed."

I turned my head and squinted at the person who tried to start up a conversation with me. Some guy in a hazelnut coat decided to sit next to me, a grin plastered onto his face. He wore a bowler hat and a tie of a hideous eggshell blue. His hair swooped down dangerously close to his eyes, the tips dyed a bright orange. His fashion sense amounted to a negative 8. Yet, he still looked better than me.

"Yep. I'm more worried about the fall to the ground." I grinned at him, donning one of my "lively" personas that I used to get allies and information.

He smiled back at me. "L-C-R-S," he spelled out, enunciating the R. "I'm Reese."

I nodded. "I'm Xaris. Are you from Sky Academy?" His clothes had a somewhat coordinated look to it, with the scary looking crossbow strapped to his back. Definitely from Sky. Or another smaller academy.

"Yep. You?"

"I'm not from one." I gestured at my shabby clothes that was made up of a white t-shirt and khaki shorts. His eyes widened as he stared at my belt, adorned with all sorts of gadgets I had picked up from who knows where. And also the normal Atlas military gun, which I received from a grateful weapon shop. "You still look hella scary with all that going on," he replied.

I shrugged. "Not useful in combat."

"Doesn't really matter. You're probably just as good as me on the battlefield." He stood up, and motioned for me to follow suit. We made our way to the screens, and he scanned the teams and the members that followed each.

"So team...I, T…. Itoxic? Intoxicate?" His eyes moved down the screen. "Ignis Scorpio?" He sucked in a breath of air. "Ouch. Sorry you have to be with her."

"What about her?" I met his eyes, giving him a look of pure confusion.

"Not to be gossipy or anything, but I know her from Sky Academy. She always has this ominous feel to her… Can't believe she's your team leader."

"Oh, fantastic. I'll add that to my list of complaints about my team members." I muttered.

"Well, who else are you worried about?" I cursed under my breath for saying my thoughts a little too loudly. Reese's eyes scanned the screen again, and he sucked in another breath.

"Oh my gawsh, you're in a team with _Conor Ironwood!_ " He exclaimed a little too loudly. All the nearby initiates turned and stared at me incredulously.

"Oh, now you've done it," I hissed.

"I'm sorry, I just don't quite understand why you're so downcast about the fact that he's on your team. All you have to do is slack off and let him fight all the Grimm for you!" He laughed.

I stared back at him, trying to figure out how to explain my hatred for him. "He… broke the heart of my best friend. He made her cry for a whole month!" I managed to exclaim. The tension in the room settled down. Girls who got rejected by Conor could circle the the lands of Remnant a thousand times. But somehow, after a few months or so, they got back on their feet to worship him again. Typical. Everyone was so used to it, a few hostile words to the Prince of Atlas for heartbreak- everyone just shrugged it away.

"Ouch. But still, being in a team with Conor is going to be awesome... I wish I were you!"

"Haha. It's alright- I'll catch you later okay?" I stood up as the screen flashed and beckoned my sorry soul to the black hole of death. My heart leapt into my throat as I heard the fangirls crowding around the entrance and screaming for an autograph. Seriously.

Reese nodded at me and said something through the frenzy. Probably good luck or something.

Finally, through the wave of initiates, appeared the boy who so frequently appeared in my nightmares. The very guy wore a midnight blue vest with the coat of the Special Ops Uniform draped around his shoulders. His hair was shaved at both sides, the top combed and gelled to give the effect of wind that was blowing his hair to the right at exactly 43 degrees. Most likely to generate some fangirl responses from his daily crowd.

I stared at him for a while, and jolted when his eyes settled on me. My heart hid behind my ribcage, dreading a spark of recognition. I was still worried; I was wearing a disguise when he last saw me, but you never know. I relaxed just a little when none came. He smiled at me, his gaze softening.

My gaze shifted to the two other initiates behind him. One wore a black sweater with golden snake in the middle and a red scarf curled up next to his neck. His golden hair was messily tied in some ponytail, and he wore a small smirk. He looked like an extremely arrogant person, with the way he held himself. But his green eyes were a soft, contradictory meadow green, making him look like an awfully nice person. But, looks can deceive. I would know so.

I glanced the other way, and caught the eye of the Reaper herself. Clad with a dark red cloak, she wore a handkerchief over her mouth. Her sunset eyes held my gaze, burning with a fire that sent shivers down my back. I dropped her gaze, gulping. Scary.

Mr. Everyone-Loves-Me, who cleared his throat very noisily, parted the Red Sea of initiates to the the dropoff zone. I glanced at the scraggly bunch of individuals- AKA my team. I shook my head in exasperation, taking the empty spot next to the lovely reaper girl. _Things were not supposed to go like this._

The floor swung open, and we fell.

* * *

Tai

* * *

The wind rushed past my ears as I hurtled towards the earth. I flexed my fingers, the golden ring I wore glinting in the sunlight. My scarf billowed out behind me, and my eyes locked onto the girl wearing the white t-shirt. I grinned.

"Do you mind giving me a lift?" I shouted through the air, gesturing at the tiny backpack she was holding. A parachute.

She rolled her eyes. "You owe me," she shouted back, and held out her hand. I grabbed on, and she pulled the cord that extended from the bag. A whoosh, and my arm almost popped out of my socket. I cursed softly, and realized Xaris Fischer was doing the same. She glowered at me. The winds in my ear died down.

I glanced downwards, breathing in the cold mountain breeze. The evergreen trees below us had the tiniest bits of snow dusted on top. The scenery was beautiful, such a contrast to the giant city located several miles to the west.

It was an uncomfortable ride down, but at least we didn't splat onto the ground. I beamed at the girl when we hit the ground, but she just frowned at me and went to gather up the blown up parachute. I studied her. Her ocean-blue hair was messily cut, the jagged ends brushing her shoulders. She wore black gloves that cut off at her knuckles, with a normal looking t-shirt and uneven khaki shorts. The thing that interested me most were the array of devices that circled her belt. How much did those gadgets cost? I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I didn't notice when she turned to me and spoke.

"Let's go, Tai. I don't really want to get sniffed out by Grimm around here. The wind is blowing in the worst direction right now, so let's get moving."

I raised my eyebrows, noticing the slight shift of character. The icy cyan eyes were replaced with a soft sky blue. I smirked, enjoying this new treat to play with.

It were the ones with secrets that were the most interesting.

Xaris grabbed my arm and pulled me to the darkness of the forest.

"There's a Grimm in the shadows over there." I looked to where she was pointing, and saw absolutely nothing.

"What?"

"Run when I tell you to. Don't stop until you reach the cliff."

I watched as Xaris pulled out the gun that was also strapped to her belt. A normal Atlas gun. Did she even have any accuracy with that cheap model?

She aimed, then fired. A blast of pure lightning blew me back onto the tree behind me, a slight ringing resounding in my ears. I almost didn't catch the next command she gave.

"Run!"

I hated being told what to do, but I had no intentions of being left behind in some godforsaken forest. My legs throbbed from not running regularly, but I somehow pushed through and matched pace with Xaris, who was bounding through the forest like a deer.

Roars echoed through the forest, and I knew we had attracted a lot of attention. Too much. I cursed loudly when an Ursa crashed through the trees behind us. With a flick of my wrist, I sent poison-tipped darts into its body and continued running. Xaris now had glowing screens floating around her, the current screen on her looking like a map. She glanced back at me and shouted something I didn't pick up, and I was too out of breath to ask what it was.

I gasped for air when we reached the cliff. A ravine circled around a broken tower made of marble and granite, its former glory shattered into pieces. A few teams were scattered around the edge, trying to find a way to cross.

The Grimm following us appeared in the shadows. Five boarbatusks pawed the ground and snorted, their ivory tusks looking frightening as hell. Xaris was backing towards the edge, her gun pointed at one of them.

"Don't shoot," I said as I motioned for her to stay down. Her gun will probably blow us off the cliff and into the depths below. Not really what I had in mind.

I felt the aura sap out of me as I stared the five Grimm down. With a whirl, I hit three of them in the eyes with darts, their bodies spasming and falling to the ground. The remaining two reared and charged, and… fell at my feet.

Two harpoons protruded from their necks, the silver hooks glistening with Grimm blood. With a clicking sound, the harpoons retreated into the darkness of the forest. Conor Ironwood walked from the shadows, smiling.

"So it was you who made such a loud ruckus."

I grinned back at him. "Nah, it was Miss Fischer over there. Glad you could join the party."

But, in reality, I was not glad at all of his existence. I had a few bones to pick with him, especially for messing around with my crew. He had a notorious name in the mafia. I had never encountered him on the streets, but I did know a few individuals who were knocked about by his "heroic" antics. One of them was one of the top members, the caporegime. She had stuck with the Atlesian military for ten years now, ever since she was a child. Her father was the famous consigliere, who one day disappeared without a trace and left his daughter behind. Now, going by the alias Midnight, she was a lethal force in the mafia, someone who could get past the strongest firewalls and change video feeds in the blink of the eye. And, she was really pretty.

But besides the point. Conor strided up to me and patted me on the back, congratulating me for my competence. It took all of my strength to not scowl at him and push him off the cliff.

I turned to Xaris, who looked like she had a wisp of a plan to getting across the ravine. She had a screen displayed in front of her, a map that had a bunch of red and blue dots scattered on it.

She grinned. "Looks like someone in our team was smart enough to have a plan in mind."

I rolled my eyes. "So what's the pla-"

My words were cut short by the Nevermore that sailed across the sky and dived straight towards us.


	2. Chapter 2: This is such a weird team

Wow you're still reading? u amazing specimen u

jk read more pls ;-; I swear it only gets better! (isn't that what they all say? xd)

* * *

Ignis (3rd person now, idk why… pls ask the me three years ago sorry)

* * *

She gripped her katanas tightly, as if they were going to slip out of her hands any moment. It was all she could do as she tried to soothe the Grimm she was riding, its wings beating in synchronization with the wind. Activating some hidden mechanism, her katanas broke into pieces and curved, turning into a scythe like weapon. Using them, she hooked them around the Nevermore's wings, pulling on the left wing to swerve right.

Ignis Scorpio was a mutation. She used to be a normal girl, but her family sold her to Eclipse Laboratories, who experimented on her until she was no longer just a "normal" girl. The scientists in charge of the experiment exclaimed her to be somewhat of a success. But, she wasn't ready to be sent out into Grimm-infested forests yet, so they sent her to train in Sky Academy, and later to Atlas Academy. But, she was a mutation. And so, she existed, with the words embedded into her mind: she would never fit in.

Until she arrived arrived at Atlas for the last day of initiation. Until she saw Conor Ironwood, who didn't glance away in fear but looked at her straight in the eye, and smiled.

The heart that she didn't know she had, beat. It was a solid thump, but it was enough. Enough to tell her that maybe, she could be accepted. Maybe, she wasn't a monster like they all thought her to be.

She whirled her mount to the skies, her midnight hair streaming behind her, then dived straight toward the ground and eased out into an easy-going glide, searching for her team. And there they were.

The Nevermore roared and swooped toward them, the Grimm's long wings brushing the tips of the trees.

And then she saw it. She didn't know why she didn't see it coming, why she thought that she would be presentable to her team in any way. The fear that glinted in Conor's eyes made her throat constrict, and she felt so idiotic for thinking that he would congratulate her and make her heart beat again. She was just some stupid teenage girl thinking that she would ever belong.

His harpoon gun was pointed straight at her. Her breath caught in her chest.

And the girl with the shiny blue hair, the one who had looked at her like everyone else, kicked him in the shin, making his harpoon shoot into the trees below her.

Her Nevermore screamed again, this time landing on the ground with its wings spread open, as if showing off its glory and terror to the world.

The girl, who Ignis faintly remembered to have a name of Xaris, waved at her and grinned, her eyes dancing with light. "You, my friend, are awesome. Welcome to the team." She motioned to the other members of the team and leaped onto the Nevermore, her smile reaching from ear to ear. Conor shot Ignis an apologetic smile, and the other boy who looked at her like some interesting puzzle, nodded. Ignis, the girl who might not be a monster anymore, pulled up on the Nevermore's wings and they shot across the ravine.

And once in a long time, she smiled.

* * *

Conor

* * *

Conor groaned as he rubbed his bruised leg, slowly lowering himself onto the bed. His suitcase lied next to his feet, a single silver one with its handle still propped up. He combed a hand through his hair, the gel he sloppily put on this morning forming a crust hard to break through. Tai, his new teammate, had collapsed on the bed opposite to him and dozed off.

He checked the time on his watch, which was also silver. 5:48. After taking a breathtaking ride on the Nevermore with Ignis, their team was the talk of the school. Everyone called them the "Grimm riders," but it was Ignis who took all the attention. She was apparently known in Sky Academy for being top of the class, but that wasn't all. Ignis was also called "the Shadow" because she always stayed in the darkness, away from others and the like. When he first saw her, he felt an ominous presence- but he still managed to look her in the eye and smile.

The ceremony and tour had taken a bit too long, so they had a shorter break time for getting settled in the dorms. Despite Conor being the son of General Ironwood and knowing Atlas like the back of his hand, he was required as a student to take the tour, no 'but's allowed. So he did, was fawned over by thousands of girls and boys, and finally escaped all the attention into the peaceful room of his dorm. The girls, Ignis and Xaris, were situated next door, and a white door connected their rooms to each other. He was still unsure what to think of Ignis; Conor was intrigued yet terrified at the same time. Her eyes were terrifying… but there was a hidden beauty to her character.

His mind wandered to the other girl, the tech-savvy one with all the gadgets. She looked quite eccentric and seemed like a tomboy… his hand unconsciously touched the still bruised part of his shin. She was very strong too.

And Tai… was generally a chill guy. He had crazy accuracy with darts, and seemed to be the extremely flirty type. Conor was a little grateful to him for leading a lot of girls away from him, but other than that, he still had no idea what his roommate could do.

5:56. Four more minutes until everyone had to report to the cafeteria for dinner. The time for this was mandatory; it was the first dinner everyone would have together and was set as a "make friends" period.

He sighed, a little too loudly. Tai stirred and mumbled something incomprehensible, then fell asleep again. Conor felt bad for needing to wake the poor dude up, but he didn't feel like they needed to be scolded at, especially in their first day.

"Tai. Wake up," Conor murmured, gently shaking the boy's shoulder.

The gentle sleeping creature jolted and jumped up, locking Conor into a headlock.

"Dude! Chill! It's just me!" He choked out.

The vice-like grip released him. "Ugh, sorry. Had a nightmare."

"What type of nightmare were you having?" Conor readjusted his neck, frowning.

Tai shook his head and smiled. "Don't worry about it. We should start heading out."

Conor decided to let Tai's… overreaction slide. "They're starting some announcement at around 6:15, so we should get going."

Tai nodded and followed him out the door.

The popular boy tried to get his food, surrounded by a smothering circle of fans. All he wanted was the beef stew, but it was too crowded. So, he stuck with the salad, politely excused himself from his fans, and set off to find his team.

It wasn't hard to find them. They sat in the corner of the room, with everyone sitting a mile away. Ignis was famous for her Grimm-riding antics, but everyone was terrified by her. He could see why.

Her dark red cloak, her piercing orange eyes… and the way she held herself- why, she could definitely play out the part of some lethal assassin, especially with those frightening katanas.

He heard a loud laugh coming from the corner of the room. Tai was snorting up milk, and Xaris was- was…

She was sitting cross-legged on the table, wiggling ghostly fingers at Ignis and Tai. He didn't fail to notice the amusing fire dancing around Ignis' eyes, as if she was smiling behind the handkerchief she wore that covered most of her face. He neared their table, eager to hear what story Xaris had to offer that made Tai look like he had a white nosebleed.

"...and so, that concludes the story of Sally the Grimm witch. OoooOOoohh, you better watch out-out-out!" Xaris let her voice fade, as if telling the last parts of a ghost story.

Conor slipped into the table and grinned at them. "I think it's still a bit early to be telling Grimmfest stories," he commented.

Xaris shot him a look of disgust. "I was just recounting the story of Sally, whose predicament just so happened to align with Ignis." She jumped off the table and took her seat next to Ignis.

Tai spoke, breaking the silence. "We should play a team ice-breaker game. Like, truth-or-dare or something."

Xaris nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah. Who's going first?"

"Ignis. Truth or dare?" Tai grinned at her.

She shrunk into her hood. "Truth," she whispered so softly the others could barely hear.

"What type of guy do you like?"

Conor choked on the lettuce he was chewing. So did Ignis, who had pushed her mask down to eat.

Xaris just smirked. "Wow. Bold. I like it."

Ignis was a light shade of pink and retreated to the shadows of her hood. "Um… I don't… really know…"

Tai leaned back into his chair. "Fair enough." He grinned until all his pearly whites shone. "It was worth a try."

Conor coughed loudly. "When you guys are done flirting, you can come and rejoin

the game." He turned to Xaris. "Truth or dare?"

Tai snickered. "Are you gonna start up your flirting antics too? Looks like you can get any girl you want here."

" I will seriously murder you-"

"Dare." Xaris picked at her nails and flashed her teeth.

Conor turned back towards her. "I dare you to torture the guy over here."

Her eyes light up maliciously. "Ooh, I like that one." She swiped at the air and a screen was projected into the air. Typing some numbers into it, she hit a button and the screen collapsed.

"What did you do?" Tai frowned at her, brows furrowed.

"I just sent your scroll number to all the single ladies out there."

Tai's eyes widened as his scroll started beeping with notifications.

Xaris just grinned. "Did you know that he's runner up of Conor's popularity? They say it's his good looks, or that flirty aura around him that causes all the ladies to swoon." She winked at Tai, eyes sparkling with amusement.

He flicked his wrist and darts shot out, pinning Xaris' T-shirt to the chair. "Ohohoh, I can tell it's going to be a great year with you."

Xaris rolled her eyes. "I know you secretly enjoy all the attention."

Conor laughed heartily, enjoying the little feud. The new friends began to talk about other topics, ranging from Xaris' pet dog Steve to Conor's irrational fear of woodpeckers. It was a fun time, and, after eating, the team moved their lively conversation to the dorms. And throughout it all, whenever Conor glanced at Ignis, he could only notice one thing.

That she had the most beautiful smile he had ever seen.


	3. Chapter 3: And the secrets begin

ohohohohoh yes read my children

* * *

Tai

* * *

The moonlight shimmered through the curtains, the silver rays of light threading itself through the thin navy blue curtains. Tai sighed softly, checking once again that Conor wouldn't wake from the sedative he had secretly given him, mixed into the cup of water he had drank before going to bed. Slowly pulling back the curtains, he opened the window and jumped out of the dorm.

Icy winds greeted him, brushing across his nose and cheeks gently. He wrapped the scarf around him tighter. Tai breathed out, watching his breath turn into wisps and disappear. The stars were bright tonight; he had to make his report quick.

As he darted through Atlas, he stopped by a hidden alleyway covered by a large green dumpster. Hurtling over it, Tai crept through the hidden hole in the wall and arrived in a shoe shop. It wasn't much, but it was a good sanctuary for mafia leaders to switch disguises or conduct secret meetings. The floors above it were all vacant, so he chose the second floor and began his transformation.

When he walked out of the alleyway the other side, the boy that crept in was completely different. His soft grassy eyes were replaced with a dark brown, golden flecks scattered around the pupil. The golden hair was gone, a dark red replacing the once vibrant color. He was no longer wearing his usual ponytail, letting his hair splay out over his shoulders. Tai wore a dark grey coat with a raised collar, and barely visible on his neck was a snake bite.

The mark of the Atlesian mafia.

Down an alleyway, right, left, around, until whoever was following him had left. He entered the building adjacent to him, descending down the stairs until he his a metal door. Knocking loudly, he pulled back his collar and revealed his neck.

The door slowly creaked open, and the guard ducked his head in respect as Tai surveyed the enormous room lit up by the enormous screens that covered each wall. A few people were scattered about sitting around the tables in the center.

"Well, well, isn't it Ryuunosuke Tadayuki? What a mouthful," A voice purred from the table closest to him. "I do wonder, what is the mafia's underboss doing here, of all times?"

Tai smiled at the woman and slid into the chair next to her. She had dark plum hair that shone in the darkness, the waves cascading around her shoulders. A headset hugged her head, connecting to a glass chip that covered her right eye. And her eyes… he could stare into them all day, fake or not. Everyone wore some kind of disguise in the mafia, but here, Tai usually enjoyed taking off all his disguises and showing his true self.

"A report. You?" He felt his semblance shift around him and reach out, grabbing control of the woman's mind. Tai wanted her to reach over and grab his hand, maybe kiss him in the process. But she just shrugged him off and smiled.

"Lesson number one: never stare into the eyes. First thing my father taught me when dealing with you mind-controlling Ryuus. And, I was just heading out to complete a mission." She gestured to the black shorts and cropped top she wore. "Infiltrating the Death Order. There are good signals in bars for hacking, you know. Especially one right next to their headquarters."

Tai grinned. "Sounds fun. I'll come along," he said, eyes glinting mischievously.

Midnight, her alias, rolled her eyes and gracefully stood up. "Don't you have a report to file?"

"Yeah, but that can always wait." He winked at her.  
"Guess I can't say no to you, Ryu."

She turned and strode out the door, the boy following close behind. He attempted to gather his thoughts, now jumbled due to his encounter with Midnight. And the nickname she enjoyed calling him. The son of the leader of the mafia could get any girl he wanted, but when he first met her a year ago, she was the first one to carelessly shrug away his stare. At the time, he felt insulted, but as time went on, he felt more and more entranced by her presence. It was foolish, really. But love worked in very strange ways.

If he even dared to call it love.

But for now, he supposed he could play around for a bit more.

The bar was filled with people, mostly drunks that wandered around. He'd burned a hole through one of the men who called Midnight "cute" as she walked up to the now vacant DJ position and began her magic. The music pumped through the bar, and a few even began to dance. No one paid attention to her though, so he relaxed. Tai knew that she was probably shattering firewall by firewall when "DJing", so he sat on a bar chair like a drunk and watched her.

It was 3:09 when they exited, arm in arm like a drunk couple. No one paid them any heed as they walked down alleyways and finally arrived back at headquarters. Tai filed his report and was surprised to find that Midnight was still waiting for him outside.

"Wow, waiting for me?" He grinned as she looked up at him.

"Yeah. I need to ask you something… your mother recently assigned me some top secret mission, and she just lengthened it by a very long time. Do you think…"

Her words slowly faded. Tai could only notice her slight shift in behavior. Her voice grew softer, and… she seemed almost vulnerable. He had grabbed her arm before he realized what he was doing.

Electricity crackled in his veins, and he let go, his heart beating out of sync. It was a terrible mistake to ever touch a hair on Midnight without permission- her semblance might as well knock you out cold. Tai gasped for air, blinking away the stars in his eyes.

"Ryu-" She started, but he interrupted her.

"Listen. I… think I might like you. Will you… will you go out with me?" his face reddened at how stupid he must have sounded. He hated not having a plan. He hated the fact that he could only see her when she wanted to be seen. He hated that he missed her so much whenever she didn't appear for days on end.

Most of all, he hated that he liked her so much.

And he hated confessing to her in a situation where he knew that whatever he did or say, she would always reject him.

* * *

Xaris

* * *

"Ryu… can't you just listen to me for one goddamn second, before you start acting like an immature little child again?"

Xaris, or by her alias, Midnight, stared down at the blushing heir of the Ryuu family.

"I can't possibly date you, I have my own life. And so do you." Xaris forcefully pushed her index finger right into his chest.

"And, if you were even listening, I was asking about your mother's special assignment. I know it might be too much, but I need this month's payment a little sooner. I can't keep doing gigs like these, it's too risky for my current assignment." She thought about the living expenses she had to pay for herself and her younger brother, looking into Ryu's eyes sadly. "And you have your own assignment nowadays; I don't understand why you still have the time to hang around. It's almost morning."

He looked away and sighed. Only she would trust him enough to look directly into his eyes. "Sorry for being an idiot. I'll talk to mother about it, get her to send you the money earlier." He brushed the dust off his coat. "I'd better get going. I'll see you soon, hopefully."

Xaris nodded. She was beginning to feel the itch of the wig on her head, straining herself from throwing the wretched old thing from her head. But here, in the mafia, your identity was your greatest possession, something you had to protect at all costs.

She parted from the young heir as the sun's first rays began to hit the buildings.


	4. AUTHOR UPDATE

So... huzzah! Thanks for reading my old work!

I'm not entirely sure if I should continue. I've got a whole plot behind the scenes, but... do I have the motivation to write any more chapters? I mean, I got college apps going on and everything! And I don't even know how to write those... ;-; (and looking at the older stories I wrote... that I never finished... hahah *pokes laptop nervously*)

Just waiting for any input from y'all. Is it interesting? Should I write more? Maybe I can write until I catch up to what tf is actually happening in the series... I mean, more RWBY is coming out June 30th! :00000

Well, thanks for sticking around! Write some reviews, like the story and whatnot. It means a lot!

And if ur motivational enough I'll continue heh

-alinwonderland


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